A Very Happy New Year
by Celestia0909
Summary: "A flash of bright white fluttered on the path and George called out to whoever it was, receiving no answer in return. Irrational fear crept up his throat and whilst he knew that it couldn't be anyone meaning harm, the war had left its scars on him." / George looks for his girlfriend as the clocks ticks closer to midnight.


**A Very Happy New Year**

[A/N at the end]

* * *

George Weasley was annoyed. No, more than annoyed; he was completely and utterly miffed with himself. He'd had one job for tonight, and he had gone and mucked it up like the idiot he was sometimes.

All around him, people were scrambling to find their other half as the atmosphere in the room became steadily more electrified. The large disco ball that his mother had hung from the ceiling of the outdoor tent flashed in different colours: first red, then yellow, purple, blue, and gold. Each colour change brought the New Year that much closer.

"Oi, Harry, keep it clean, mate," George joked as he spotted his sister and Ginny snogging rather passionately on an armchair. "It's not midnight yet!"

"Sod off, George. Where's your girlfriend gone, anyway?" his sister asked as she pushed her new short hairdo off her forehead.

He hesitated for a brief moment. "Well, I was hoping you'd tell me. I've lost her, you see…"

A barely concealed smirk formed on Harry and Ginny's faces as George rubbed the back of his neck. He knew it sounded ridiculous, but midnight was fast approaching and he had no time to muck about and beat around the bush.

Ginny opened her mouth, a mischievous look in her eyes before Harry nudged her side and shook his head at her. George had always loved Harry, but it was times like this — when he reigned in his troublemaker of a sister — that he appreciated him most.

"The last time I saw her, she was at the drinks table. She was talking to your mum and dad about something."

George clapped his soon-to-be brother-in-law's shoulder, ruffled Ginny's hair, and stalked off towards the table; the disco ball overhead flashing bright red. He muttered his apologies as he pushed past people in an attempt to get to his destination quicker.

In one corner of the room, Ron was whispering into Hermione's ear, and he had no doubt that they'd soon be at it like the lovestruck couple they were. George hoped that his brother would make his move and ask the girl to marry him already; they were _clearly_ made for one another.

Just as he was glancing over at Neville chatting up his supposed girlfriend, George crashed into someone and cursed quietly as cool liquid seeped into his jacket, shirt, and pants — which he had bought brand new just yesterday too. And from Madam Rossiter's boutique, no less.

Had it been any other time, or any other party, George would have stopped to apologise to whomever he had crashed into. But seeing as it was New Year's Eve and he _still_ hadn't found his girlfriend, he said a quick sorry and walked away as the disco ball flashed blue.

His parents had held a New Year's Eve party every year since the end of the Battle of Hogwarts. At first, the celebrations had been subdued — a bittersweet reminder that people had died and weren't able to be there. But as the years passed, and new lives entered their family, the New Year became the happy affair that it was always meant to be.

This party in particular had been spectacular, and not just because he had decided to have a new outlook on life either. He had spent most of it catching up with his friends, cuddling his adorable niece, Victoire, and joking about with his family. He had received somewhat shocked expressions whenever he cracked a joke, and George couldn't help but feel weightless as warmth entered his body once again.

Above him, the disco ball flashed bright white as a shower of confetti fell upon everyone's heads. On one side of the ball, a big '60' appeared in blue and turned to a 59 as he watched. Almost immediately, the atmosphere in the room changed and the excitement heightened.

People who were with their other half cosied up together, and those who weren't batted their eyelashes feverishly as midnight approached. The 59 turned to a 58 and the ball spun rapidly in a circle as people picked up their drinks and watched it change colours.

The drinks table, which had started out full of cups, glasses, and punch, was totally void of anything but empty paper cups, and nobody stood around it as people gathered underneath the ball. His nerves, which had been a result of his annoyance, quickly turned to anger at himself at his peculiar predicament.

Giving up on his search, George stormed outside the kitchen door and into the garden, slumping into the bench by the doorway. Pulling out his wand, he leant back against the wall and let a shower of sparks erupt from the end of it. The wind was cool and snow fell rapidly, blurring his vision as the cold nipped at the tip of his ear and at his nose.

It was insanely freezing, and he wished that he'd thought to bring his coat, or even a scarf. A line of floating orbs of light lined the pathway towards a gargantuan oak tree, underneath which his twin lay in rest.

Just behind him, the crowd of people grew louder as they shouted '30' collectively. Anger quickly gave way to anguish, and George ran a hand through his hair as he kicked at the snow beneath his feet. His girlfriend had been by his side the entire evening, and it was ironic that in the final moments of the night, when he wanted her to be with him the most, she was nowhere to be found.

Something shuffled in the distance near the oak tree and George shook his head as the figure that he thought was there disappeared.

 _Twenty._

This New Year's Eve was supposed to be their first of many as a couple. He had hoped that at midnight, he would be snogging his girlfriend and that they'd be wrapped up in one another's arms. Just like everyone else inside was about to do.

 _Sixteen._

Behind him, he heard the faint clicking of the kitchen door opening and soft footsteps walking towards him. A bushy head of hair rounded the corner away from him, and George allowed a smile to come to his face as Ron and Hermione ran off into the darkness.

His dry lips protested as his smile widened, and at this point, the tips of his fingers, nose, and ear were starting to feel numb as he rubbed his hands together to keep them warm. To be honest, he could just go back inside, but at the same time, he couldn't bear to stand the sight of happy couples while _his_ other half was missing.

 _Twelve._

When he really came to think of it, actually, where could she have possibly gone anyway? He recalled that she'd mentioned something about going to freshen up, but that had been ten minutes ago and he had never seen her come back. Ugly thoughts entered his mind and he fought hard to beat back the images of her snogging somebody else. Of course, deep down, he knew that she would never do that; it was ludicrous to even think it.

 _Ten._

The snow began to fall harder around him, obscuring his vision even more as the people in the house grew louder, more frenzied, as midnight approached. He stopped showering sparks from his wand and pocketed it as people began blowing their party horns and singing Auld Lang Syne. Bottles of champagne were being popped and George could feel the anticipation as his watch ticked ever closer to the New Year.

 _Eight._

The same figure from before moved in the snow. This time, George rubbed his eyes before squinting to get a better look. The orbs of light were barely bright enough to be able to illuminate anything other than the path they were on either side of.

 _Seven._

No, he was sure that he'd definitely seen something moving in the dark. And not just anything either; he was sure that it was a person. Although that didn't really make much sense because everyone who was invited to the party had arrived well before eleven o'clock.

 _Six_.

A flash of bright white fluttered on the path and George called out to whoever it was, receiving no answer in return. Irrational fear crept up his throat and whilst he knew that it couldn't be anyone meaning harm, the war had left its scars on him.

 _Five._

He was sure that the flash of white was a dress or someone's robes as a silhouette made itself clear in the darkness.

The figure walked closer in hurried steps, and George fingered the wand in his pocket. He had a feeling about who it could be, but it didn't make any sense for her to be out here, so he shut his hope down instantly.

 _Three._

Two slender arms wrapped around his neck and a familiar body hurtled into his as he stood up and slipped his arms around his girlfriend's waist.

"Merlin, you scared the living daylights out of me!" he said as he brushed his palm across the curve of Angelina's back.

An ear-splitting boom echoed from inside and hundreds of shouts of glee thundered through the cool winter air as George's head was roughly lowered and his lips were planted on Angelina's. He chuckled against her lips and felt like an idiot for ever worrying about not being able to do this with her.

He should've known that fate would intervene and allow him to finally have the best start to the New Year. He just hoped that fate would give him the courage to ask her the question he'd been planning on asking her tonight. The little velvet box in his coat pocket had never felt heavier as their lips moved against one another's.

"I thought you'd run off with my cousin Albert," George joked as he pulled his lips away and rested his forehead against hers. Angelina snorted, no doubt thinking about his rather unfortunate-looking cousin, who had a persistent cluster of warts on his cheek.

"I was just wishing Fred a Happy New Year too," she whispered as she hugged him tighter. "Besides, I much prefer redheads with one ear."

"Brat."

"Happy New Year to you too, love."

And as Angelina leaned in for another kiss, snow falling heavily on the top of their heads and shoulders, George wished for a hundred more New Years spent like this. Frostbite be damned.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Word Count: 1,745

* * *

QLFC Round 5

Team: Montrose Magpies

Position: Seeker

Prompt: Use a title of a story written by your Captain for inspiration

["A Fresh Start (and a spring in my step)" - Emiliya Wolfe]

* * *

THC Round 2

House: Ravenclaw

Year/Position: Prefect

Category: Short

Prompt/s: [Time] 23:59

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this story x

Please don't forget to leave a short (or long) review.

I love love love reading them!

Until next time, Andy x


End file.
